S-2546-119
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 484.
Sponsored by Christopher Coons (D-DE)
What it does
This bill would extend the deadline for the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to complete a commemorative work (a memorial) in Washington, D.C. and its surrounding area. It would amend Public Law 115-275 to push the expiration of the Foundation's congressional authorization from the original 7-year window to a new hard deadline of November 3, 2032. Without this extension, the Foundation's legal authority to proceed with the memorial would lapse.
Who benefits
The National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation, which gains additional time to complete the project. Emergency medical services (EMS) workers and their families, who would have a permanent national memorial honoring their service and sacrifice. The broader EMS community, including paramedics, EMTs, and first responders nationwide. Tourism and hospitality businesses in the Washington, D.C. area that benefit from additional commemorative sites. Memorial construction contractors and designers who would be engaged to build the work.
Who is hurt
There are no clearly identifiable groups who would be materially harmed by this bill. Taxpayers could bear indirect costs if any federal funds are used for construction or maintenance, though the bill itself does not appropriate funds. Other organizations seeking commemorative work authorizations in D.C. may face increased competition for available sites if the EMS memorial occupies a location they might otherwise pursue.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that EMS workers are a critically important but often overlooked segment of the first responder community, and that a national memorial provides long-overdue recognition of the thousands who have died in the line of duty. They contend that deadline extensions for commemorative works are routine — Congress has granted similar extensions to numerous other memorial projects — and that denying one here would waste years of planning and fundraising already completed by the Foundation.
Opponents argue
Opponents could argue that the Foundation has already had a substantial period under its original authorization and that repeated extensions undermine the accountability mechanisms Congress built into the commemorative works process, which are designed to ensure projects are completed in a timely manner. They might contend that if a project cannot be completed within the original statutory window, Congress should require a full re-authorization with updated plans and funding disclosures rather than a simple deadline extension.
Constitutional context
No significant constitutional issues are raised by this bill. Congress has clear authority over federal lands in the District of Columbia under Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 (the Enclave Clause), which grants Congress exclusive jurisdiction over the seat of government. Commemorative works legislation is a routine and uncontested exercise of that authority.
Checks and balances
Congress retains authority over commemorative works in D.C. through the Commemorative Works Act; the Secretary of the Interior and the National Capital Planning Commission provide site approval oversight, preserving executive branch checks on the Foundation's activities.
Historical precedent
Congress has routinely granted deadline extensions to other memorial foundations under the Commemorative Works Act, including extensions for the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, among others.